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Adam Messages: 6842
Registered: August 2005
Location: Edmonton, AB
6 Cups
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mightyreasoner wrote on Mon, 31 August 2020 13:09 | I think it's very fair to question is Patrick Russell is a legitimate NHL player. I would suggest he is not, and I think stats of any sort would back that up.
If he is signed with the intention of playing in Bakersfield (because the cupboards are bare), fine. I don't care if he is making $7000 or $700000 if it doesn't have cap implications.
But I don't think that is the case. Tippett inexplicably plays this guy often and in my opinion, he hasn't done anything to really earn that playing time. So I think he is here to take up an NHL roster spot when there are countless better options out there. For example, I'd much rather have Sam Gagner back here than Patrick Russell. That's one example.
So if the Oilers signed him for the AHL, fine. It's one of their 50 contracts, but there are worse players on one of those 50 contracts... At least he could help in Bakersfield. But if the plan is for him to play in the NHL - and I think it is - in my opinion that has to do with blind love from Tippet that I just don't share. There's better options out there. A lot of them.
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I'll go a step further. Even as an AHLer, this is a bad use of a contract space. If you look at the remainder of our minor league contracts, only Nygard is a similar age. Nygard had 9 points in 33 games, so objectively better than Russell. Better skater too.
While there's some tweeners under contract, since no one else inked for next year is as old, there's some hope they may yet develop. The Oilers have had a front row seat for Russell's career the last four seasons. In that time he's scored 84 points in 187 AHL games. That alone should tell you he's not an NHLer, even with out the extra 51 games of futility he's actually played in the big leagues.
I think he's a complete waste of a spot. I'm not losing sleep over Patrick Russell - but I don't want him on the team, because I think we could do better signing virtually anyone else.
On the bright side, he has a shot at JF Jacques record for most games from the start of an Oilers career without a goal. Jacques scored in his 55th game so just 4 more for Patrick and we have a new record holder!!!!
"Thinking that a bad team's best players are the reason the team is bad is the "Tambellini re-signing Lennart Petrell" of sports opinions." @Woodguy55
#FireLowe #FireBobbyNicks #FireKenHolland #FireKeithGretzky
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